The present invention relates to an acoustic signalling device for a container destined for culinary use, in particular for boilers.
As is well known, to some types of containers for culinary use, for instance to boilers destined to heat and bring to a boil the water necessary for the preparation of tea, infusions or other drinks, are often associated acoustic signalling devices that allow to alert the user when the water has reached its boiling temperature.
Known acoustic signalling devices generally comprise valves applied to the containers or to their lids and formed by different components generally also including resonance boxes whereinto the steam formed during the water boiling phase flows.
In practice, such known devices operate as whistles, i.e. emit a high-pitched, shrill hissing sound produced by the steam travelling through them.
The prior art summarily described above presents numerous limitations and drawbacks.
First of all, the aforementioned whistle devices are rather complex from a constructive point of view and hence also present considerable manufacturing costs.
Moreover, they need to be disassembled periodically for cleaning because with use, the small orifices through which the steam flows tend to become clogged as a result of the incrustations and deposits due to the limestone present in the water. The disassembly and, above all, the assembly operations can be complex and difficult to carry out, at least for some categories of users. It is therefore possible for the devices not to be reassembled correctly in all their components and for some components to be detached accidentally and suddenly under the pressure of the steam, in practice being ejected as dangerous projectiles into the surrounding areas.
It should also be observed that known devices emit whistle-like acoustic signals with a rather unpleasant tone, easily confused with other similar sounds due, for instance, to the presence of pressure-cooking pots which occasionally are hard to hear at a certain distance, especially by persons who are partially impaired in their hearing ability at high frequencies.
In this situation, the technical task constituting the basis for the present invention is to devise an acoustic signalling device for containers destined for culinary use, in particular for boilers, able substantially to overcome the aforementioned drawbacks.
Within the scope of said technical task, an important aim of the invention is to obtain a very simple device from the constructive point of view, with reduced manufacturing cost.
Another important aim is to obtain a device which requires no periodic disassembly operations to be cleaned and which is always safe and reliable in its operation.
A last aim is to obtain an acoustic signalling device that produce a sound signal with a pleasant tone, certain to be recognised and easily heard even at a distance.
The technical task set out above and the specified aims are substantially reached by an acoustic signalling device for containers destined for culinary use, in particular for boilers comprising a nozzle able to convey externally to a container able to be closed, whereto the device is associated, a jet of steam formed inside the same container able to be closed, a sounding body fastened to a portion of said container able to be closed, and a movable element positioned in the trajectory of said steam jet and able repeatedly to strike said sounding body under the thrust of the steam jet itself.